Burundi soldier shoots fuel smuggler
A man is in critical condition after being shot by a soldier while transporting fuel from the DRC.
A man was critically injured by a bullet on the evening of Thursday, October 29, 2026, in Kaburantwa, Bukinanyana commune, Bujumbura province. The victim was riding a motorcycle carrying fuel containers from the Democratic Republic of Congo when a soldier on duty fired at him. He was taken to a hospital in Bujumbura, the country's economic capital, in serious condition.
Local administration stated the soldier shot the man in the legs after he refused to stop. The victim was first taken to the Kaburantwa health center before being referred to Prince Régent Charles Hospital in Bujumbura. Fuel from the RDC enters Burundi via the Rusizi River and is then moved clandestinely into the country.
Residents questioned the use of gunfire, suggesting a warning shot could have been used. This incident occurs amid ongoing tensions between law enforcement and those involved in the illegal fuel trade. Burundi has faced fuel shortages for nearly six years, leading some citizens to travel to Uvira in the RDC to refuel.